Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake

Paranormal

From Goodreads:

Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…

Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.

Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart.

According to Deborah Blake’s author’s notes this is the book that got her an agent.  While she got an agent the book sat on the shelf unpublished until now.

There are some really interesting takes on the paranormal in Veiled Magic.  The world building and back story are both revealed in action and dialog as the story progresses.  Characters are introduced as they are needed to keep the plot moving.

I found the story to be exciting and tension filled.  Donata Santori is a great character.  She is a witch and a police woman who can talk to the dead.  You would think that would be an exciting life.  It isn’t.  She works in the basement and is very isolated from everyone.  On her first case out of the basement everything changes when the ghost of one of the murdered men demand that she keep a painting from falling into the wrong hands.  That brings in three new and interesting characters.  Together they start out on a very dangerous journey.

I loved the interaction between Donata and the other characters.  It kept the story moving as the plot developed.  I did think there was a little flaw in the end.  See if you feel the same about the fate of the painting.

This could be the start of a new series.  I hope so as this world is big enough to support a lot more action and adventure as well as adding new and interesting characters.

InterMix published Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake in 2015.

I received an ARC of Veiled Magic from Netgalley in return for an honest review.